Natural Ways to Deal with Reflux
You have just found out your baby has Reflux You know there are many prescriptions available for your child but if you are looking for a more natural way, there are many natural ways to help your baby.
• Keep the baby upright for about 30-45 min after a feeding. You can use a bouncy chair, swing, hold the baby or put them in a boppy type pillow.
• Avoid laying the child flat. For sleeping try elevating the crib, use the Reflux Nest, (see instructions) raise up the mattress or legs of the bed.
• A trained Myopractor’s and can do a simple procedure that can put an end to colic forever. The stomach and the digestive system are tense and not working properly. The Myopractor does gentle manipulation with stretching and massage of the stomach and digestive system to restore its normal movement and flexibility, thus eliminating the tummy aches.
The Myopractor’s have an 80% success rate with, 1 in 5 babies needing to come back for a second visit.
• Happi Tummi is a natural Velcro belt that is filled with herbs that soothe baby. It is heated in the microwave and put on baby and then the baby is swaddled. www.happitummi.com
• If your child is less than 4 months old, SWADDLE. They may fight it; however it has been proven that they achieve better sleep and less stress when swaddled. You will have to do a tight swaddle. If the child is between 3 and4 months you will have to find an over sized swaddling blanket.
• Refluxers often reflux less and are more comfortable when sleeping on their tummy. This can increase the risk of SIDS and you should contact your doctor before trying it.
• Consider switching to a non DHA/ARA formula (this may make the biggest difference). Artificial DHA/ARA has been proven to have NO nutritional value and may be the cause of intestinal upsets such as Reflux. http://www.cornucopia.org for the scientific study.
• Hypo-allergenic (Alimentum, Neocate, etc.,) formulas can be a great help, and some babies do well on Carnation Good Start without DHA/ARA), Earth's Best Organic or Nature's One Organic. If a baby is breastfeeding they should never be taken off the *** and given formula. *** milk is individually made for the specific baby.
• Create a Reflux Nest for your baby. The Nest will elevate your baby at a 30 degree angle so you baby can sleep in elevated comfort.
• Probiotics and digestive enzymes are a wonderful natural way to help your infant prepare their immature system cope with acid. You can buy Probiotics at your local Health Food Store in the refrigerator section. You will follow the directions on the jar. Usually it is 1/8 teaspoon in one or two bottles a day. Researchers at the Regina Margherita Children's Hospital in Turin, Italy, compared the probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri with Simethicone (Mylicon), the standard treatment for colic, over a 28-day period. They found that the amount of crying decreased more significantly among the infants given L. reuteri than among those given Simethicone. By the end of the study, 95 percent of the infants had responded positively to the probiotic, but only 7 percent to the Simethicone.